Marie Foshee co-owns the Farmer in the Dell with her husband, a family-owned farm known for its pumpkin patch.
The Farmer in the Dell pumpkin patch has been around for 17 years, but they have been farming on the land since 2005.
The pumpkin patch idea came from her sons, Mark and Luke, who saw one on television as kids and wanted their own. Foshee shared that pumpkins are a hard crop to grow, and they decided they would only accept the idea if they could successfully grow them on their land.
The actual name came from their friend, Dale Crosby, who sold them the land. Foshee and her daughter, Amelia, handled the business side. Her husband, who has a background in agriculture, and sons handled the farming side.
Looking back from where they started to where they are now with the patch being 24 acres, Foshee said they have been blessed.
Almost a year-round farm, Foshee grows fresh produce like pumpkins, tomatoes, corn, watermelon, strawberries and peaches.
While the pumpkin patch is one of the most popular attractions, Foshee said the U-pick, which allows visitors to learn how to pick the produce, is also a fan favorite.
"When we pick peaches and strawberries, they'll [visitors] pick us clean because you can pick them, and they're ready to eat. You don't have to wait for them to sit on the counter and get ripe," Foshee said.
Other activities offered at the farm include hayrides, horseshoes, tube slides, sandboxes, corn troughs and a crop maze. The Farmer in the Dell even has farm animals, like cows, goats and chicks, which they have for the pumpkin patch.
Foshee and her husband are always touched to see the dads come out to the pumpkin patch with their children. She said while she cannot choose her favorite activity, her favorite part about working at the Farmer in the Dell is the people.
Adding something new every year, Foshee said she and her husband require the activities to be farm-related. This year, Foshee said they are in the works of creating a concession stand with homemade ice cream that will feature the peaches and strawberries grown from the farm.
"We're not ever gonna do blowups or make it scary because we want you to have a true farm experience," Foshee said.
Their peach orchard has 140 peach trees, which they only do maintenance on. Foshee said they planted around 30 different varieties of pumpkins and will start planting the strawberries this month to be ready in April.
Agritourism, Marie Foshee said, benefits locals because it combines fresh produce and entertainment.
"Agritoursim is where people can come to a true working farm. Not just a piece of land, but where you can come learn how to farm and learn entertainment," Foshee said.
Foshee said it saddens her to watch the farmer agriculture makeup get smaller in the Auburn and Lee County area and even across the U.S.
"It's a hard job and takes a lot of prayer and trust in the Lord. Children don't wanna take over that job; none of ours do, but they enjoyed it while they were growing up," Foshee said.
Foshee said they offer sorority socials and birthdays. She encourages families to come out and college students to relax and step away from the books for a little while.
Nate Payne, sophomore in horticulture, works as the farm manager or commander at the Farmer in the Dell.
Payne's duties as a commander, which is referred to in the patch, includes the production aspect of creating a crop. While this means planting, maintaining and fertilizing the plants, he also harvests and sells the fruits and vegetables.
Working at the farm for two and a half years now, Payne shared his favorite part about being apart of what makes things run smoothly.
"My favorite part about working out there, has been the vast amounts of knowledge and skills I have learned that have impacted the success I have had at Auburn in school. Not to mention, the many relationships that will last a lifetime that I have made because of my job," Payne said.
Payne takes part in the U-pick and the other activities, and he explained how the success of them has been of importance to him.
"I have been able to consume massive amounts of fruit and vegetables, which has been a huge blessing. I also run the hayride for the pumpkin patch, which is one of the big means of entertainment during the pumpkin patch," Payne said.
Explaining why the atmosphere of the farm is a special one, Payne touched on how he gets a chance to grow and learn in a space that is encouraging.
"It is family owned and operated, but even when they bring in people who aren’t technically apart of the immediate family, they always leave feeling a big part of it, myself included. Nothing goes unnoticed out there. If you do something awesome, you will be recognized for it, but at the same time, if you make a mistake, you will be given the opportunity to make up for it, without worry of shame or embarrassment. I cannot imagine a more joyful group of people, who care more about the customers over themselves," Payne said.
While working around the farm can be time-consuming, Payne said getting a chance to watch the produce grow is rewarding.
"My favorite thing to watch grow is the peaches. If you know anything about peaches, you know that the growing process is extremely long and tedious. Furthermore, being able to see them come out of dormancy through the development of flowers, and then fruit, is one of the most beautiful processes I have ever been able to encounter. Then, of course, the best part is the eating of the peaches, which are outstanding," Payne said.
The most challenging part about the job, Payne said, is understanding the scientific reasoning behind using certain fertilizers for different things, whether it be crops or produce.
"Most people don’t realize that there is more to agriculture than just planting and harvesting, and I would say that the hardest thing would be learning all of the science and critical thinking that is necessary for a productive crop," Payne said.
The easiest thing to learn, according to Payne, was paying attention to the process of how plants grow.
"Dr. Foshee always talks about a sense of wonder that every human being has innately inside of them. The growth process really taps into that," Payne said.
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